I did join NATS before 2001 but I also have a long way to go, so I am considering this for the long term. Do I believe that NATS will still be operating the existing DB scheme when I retire - probably not. NATS is going to try and cut the cost of our scheme in the long run REGARDLESS of what happens now. What I do know is that right now the scheme is in the s**t and if allowed to continue, either I will have no job, no pension or a job with much crappier Ts & Cs than what is on the table now. The company didn't tell me this, nor the union - I have come to the conclusion myself from the evidence put forward.
Agreeing this proposal doesn't shaft my NSL colleagues either - it makes the pension liability for potential NSLs bidders as bloody huge and unnattractive as it is now.
Go to the management briefings then go to the NTUS briefing and make your views heard. Anyone shouting "NO" on this forum who is a union member and has not used their opportunity to grill the union officials is quite frankily a fool, and is voting NO for the wrong reasons. If you attend your NTUS briefing and are still not convinced, then by all means vote as you see fit.
We can argue all day about the pro's and con's of the proposed deal - but it is the best we are going to get. This is my view, I'm not going to apologise for it - I want to protect my future and agreeing this deal is in my opinion the only option (doesn't mean i like it!) and convincing all around me to protect my future is what I am going to do.
I'm not going to respond to any more posts on what I have written now, as I have heard it all before and nobody in the 1000+ posts on this forum have said anything new that is going to fix everything so that we don't have to make this choice.
RS